A Galwayman’s annual tribute to the baby brother he never knew has now raised almost €60,000 in support of suddenly bereaved parents and families across Ireland.

Gerard Heneghan ran his first Baby Noel Heneghan Barn Dance back in 2015 – and the latest incarnation of took place at the newly renovated Clonberne Community Centre at the end of last month.

This year’s event was a tremendous success, raising an impressive €8,400 in support of the national charity FirstLight – bringing to almost €60,000 the total amount raised over the years.

Thanks to the money received, FirstLight has been able to provide an extra 1,000 hours of crisis intervention and psychotherapy to support suddenly bereaved parents, families, and communities across Ireland in recent years.

This year’s line-up included singers Stuart Moyles, Jenna Sloane, Seán Fahy and Aishling Rafferty, and a host of sponsors – including Barry Group, St. Jarlath’s Credit Union, Clonberne Veterinary Clinic, Athenry Credit Union, Eoin Loftus Building, BKRN Ltd, Campbell’s Lake O’Flynn Bar, Deputy Michael Fitzgerald, Divilly’s Bar, and Forde Brothers Windows and Doors – covered all expenses related to the dance event.

Baby Noel Heneghan was born on Christmas Eve, 2000, to parents Bernie and Paddy Heneghan from Clonberne – but at the age of just four weeks, Baby Noel passed away from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) on January 27 2001.

After this tragic loss, Baby Noel’s parents received support from the charity Irish Sudden Infant Death Association, now known as FirstLight.

And in more recent years, Gerard, Baby Noel’s 21-year-old brother, has been actively fundraising for FirstLight since the age of 13 and was officially appointed as a FirstLight Ambassador in 2021.

“The ongoing delivery of this level of support to suddenly bereaved parents and families across Ireland can only be sustained through the enormous generosity of individuals like Gerard Heneghan, his parents Bernie and Paddy Heneghan, his brother Séan, as well as the unwavering support of family friends and the entire community of Clonberne,” said FirstLight Head of Operations and Development Andrew Mernagh.

Established in 1976, FirstLight is a trauma-informed organisation providing free professional psychotherapy services to families and communities who have experienced the traumatic loss of a child up to the age of 18.

In the last 36 months, FirstLight has received over 488 referrals into its service, delivering over 6,188 hours of professional support to more than 521 clients nationwide.

Over 60% of the referrals were submitted by frontline professionals from hospitals, including the University Hospital Galway.

Pictured: Andrew Mernagh, Head of Operations and Development at FirstLight (centre) with the Heneghans (from left), Sean, Paddy, Gerard and Bernie at the Babies Memorial in St. Joseph’s Church, Kilkerrin.